LG G2 vs G3 comparison: why you should upgrade to the new flagship Android smartphone

The LG G2 was the best smartphone of 2013 in our opinion. Can the G3 attain the same glory for 2014? We explore the differences between the two Android handsets.

The new LG G3, reviewed, may have impressive specifications, but as you’ll see, it has a lot to live up to given that its predecessor, the G2, also reviewed, is a tough act to follow.

LG G2 vs LG G3: Price

The G2 was a real bargain at £399 (now available for under £300 online) so the G3, with an expected street price of £499, needs to do a lot to justify that chunk of extra cash.

LG G2 vs LG G3: Design and build

The G3 has a 5.5in screen with and impressive 2560x1440 resolution. It’s hardly bigger than the G2 overall, which has a 5.2in ‘Full HD’ screen - and is actually thinner at 8.9mm versus 9.1mm.

Now available in white, gold and silver, the LG G3 is otherwise very similar in design and build to the LG G2, solid and well made. Previously with a non-removable plastic rear it now has metal-look plastic back which can be unclipped to reveal the battery, SIM card and microSD slot.

The G3 has power and volume buttons on the handset's back rather than its side, just like the G2, but now also includes a dual-LED flash and 13Mp camera that can record 4K (3840x2160) video.

LG G2 vs LG G3: Processor and performance, RAM and storage

The LG G2 has a quad-core 2.26GHz Snapdragon 800 processor with 2GB of RAM and Adreno 330 graphics. The new LG G3 features a 2.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor with Adreno 330 graphics and either 2- or 3GB of RAM depending on whether you buy the 16- or 32GB version.

Importantly, the G3 scores where the G2 didn’t as it has a microSDXC slot that lets you add a further 128GB of storage.

LG G2 vs LG G3: Connectivity

LG G3 supports Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC and 4G, plus it has an IR transmitter – all the same as the G2. With the LG G3,though, there’s support for 802.11ac Wi-Fi and you get LTE-Advanced connectivity.

LG G2 vs LG G3: Software

LG's Practical UX interface looks similar to Samsung's TouchWiz, with popping colours and cluttered areas - it's crammed just about everything imaginable into its notification bar.

Both phones run Android KitKat, although the G2 originally shipped with Jelly Bean.

You'll find more advanced personalisation features in the LG G3, which can learn your usage patterns to offer you more personalised information. The interface has also been slightly reworked, with flatter-looking icons.

LG G2 vs LG G3: Battery life

Both handsets have a 3,000mAh lithium-polymer battery, but the G3’s is removable and there’s support for wireless charging. Our G2, which we’ve used daily since it launched, can last a good couple of days, perhaps even three with light usage. With a larger, higher-resolution screen and a faster processor inside you might think battery life would suffer, although LG claims to tackle this with adaptive framerates, adaptive clocking and adaptive timing control. We'll be able to investigate this when we get the LG G3 into our lab for thorough testing.